Raising a Teen on the Spectrum

People often ask, “How is it raising a teenager with autism?” Let me say that I am in the middle of this and I’m learning as I go. So here are a few things that I have learned so far.

Always respond positively to any question.

Last month my son came home and asked, “what do they mean when they ask me, ‘does size matter?’” No matter how much a question makes me want to cringe, I always tell my son, “I’m glad you asked me this.” I told him exactly what the question meant. Afterwards, I asked do you need help dealing w/ this? We then decided this is a stupid question that doesn’t deserve a response, so if they ask him again he will just ignore them.

Make sure you get all the facts before jumping to any conclusions.

One day G came home flustered and told me he needed help with a bully. As soon as I heard that I was livid. I took a deep breath, calmed myself and started to ask him all about his situation. Listen carefully, ask for specific examples: what did she say, what did she do, show me what she did. As he explained how the "bully girl" was treating him I realized this was not a bully situation, but a crush. Now there have been other times, when he has been bullied and we have needed to come up with a plan to deal with it.

Work with your child to come up with solutions to problems that he feels comfortable with.

There are lots of ways to deal with a problem. The way I feel comfortable dealing with a problem is not always the way G feels comfortable. At one point a bully in one of his classes started harassing G w/ sexual statements. G didn’t know how to respond and became embarrassed and flustered, this caused the bullying to escalate. I wanted G to tell the bully, “I don’t appreciate the way you are talking to me. Shut up or I’m going to talk to the teacher.” G felt he couldn’t do that, it was too hard trying to talk when he felt that upset. So he decided to e-mail the classroom teacher, which was easier then talking to the teacher. The teacher moved their seats, and helped G to resolve the situation.

I could write a book on this topic, but these seem to be the best lessons I’ve learned so far.

Studies Reveal Why Kids Get Bullied and Rejected

Kids who have trouble reading social cues are likely to be bullied. No surprise here! Anyhow an article by Live Science offers five steps for helping a child "read" a social interaction go awry and discover what he can do next time.

The five steps are:

1. Ask the child what happened without judgement.
2. Ask the child to identify their mistake. (Often children only know that someone got upset, but don't understand their own role in the outcome.) I don't agree with this after all there is no excuse for bullying, instead I might ask what could you have done differntly?
3. Help the child identify the cue they missed or mistake they made.
4. Create an imaginary but similar scenario where the child can make the right choice.
5. Lastly, give the child "social homework" by asking him to practice this new skill.

To read the full article click here.

To buy the book this article is based on click here.

Children with autism show considerable gains with early intervention: American Medical News

Once again we see that early intervention that includes a lot of parental involvement can make a considerable difference in the life of a young child with autism.

According to a Nov. 30 by Pediatrics Children with autism spectrum disorder can see significant improvement in IQ, language and adaptive behavior when they receive comprehensive developmental behavioral intervention before age 2½.

The Early Start Denver Model involves parents and therapists working with children on improving communication, social skills and other skills. The therapy takes place in a child's home rather than in an office setting.

The Denver model, designed to be used with children as young as 12 months, integrates applied behavior analysis with developmental and relationship-based approaches. The study, funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, assigned 48 children ages 18 months to 30 months who had autism and no other health problems to one of two groups.

To read more:
amednews: Children with autism show considerable gains with early intervention :: Dec. 22, 2009 ... American Medical News

When my son was first diagnosed with autism a professional told me, "you just have to understand your son will never be normal he will never be able to function like other kids." I'm glad we didn't listen to her. My belief that we as parents and educators can make a difference is why I started National Autism Resources.

Geoffrey Won a Halloween Contest

Geoffrey dressed up as the "windy guy" for the church Halloween party on Tuesday. He won first place it was so great!

He won two free movie tickets and already a few friends are asking him who he is going to take. Including one girl who seems VERY interested. (I'm not sure I'm ready for that!)

Happy Halloween everyone!

What is the Wilbarger Protocol or Brushing Therapy?

The Wilbarger Protocol is a therapy program designed to reduce sensory or tactile defensiveness. Children who exhibit symptoms of tactile defensiveness are extremely sensitive to touch. This can cause a fear or resistance to being touched, difficulty transitioning between activities, and/or lethargy. The therapy was developed by Patricia Wilbarger, MEd, OTR, FAOTA.

There is not much documented research on the Wilbarger Protocol. However, many parents of children with autism have reported seeing decreases in sensory defensiveness and anxiety as a result of using this technique. Some of the benefits of the Wilbarger Protocol may include improved ability to transition between daily activities, improved attention span, a decreased fear or discomfort of being touched, enhanced coordination, and self-regulation.

The complete routine usually only takes 2-3 minutes.The first step in the therapy involves using a sensory brush or wilbarger brush which is run over the child's skin, using very firm pressure; it is like a deep pressure massage. Brushing starts at the arms and works down to the feet. The face, chest, and stomach area are never brushed because these are sensitive areas that can cause adverse reactions.

The brushing with the therapressure brush is initially recommended every 2 hours while the child is awake. Therapists usually re-assess the level of brushing after two weeks. At that time they may modify the program. The brushing continues as long as the individual benefits from it.

After the brushing therapy, therapists may also prescribe gentle joint compressions to the shoulders, elbows, wrists, fingers, hips, knees/ankles, and sternum for a count of ten. Self-administration of joint compression may also be obtained by engaging in jumping-jacks, push-ups, or jumping on a trampoline.

Finally, the therapist may also suggest the Oral Tactile Technique, or OTT. This technique requires a finger to swipe along the inside of the person’s mouth. This is helpful for kids with oral defensiveness. (These children may have trouble with foods because of their texture or hate having their teeth brushed.)

If you think that your child would benefit from the Wilbargar Protocol, it is important to seek guidance from an Occupational Therapist. The OT must be trained in sensory integration and know how to use the Wilbargar Protocol. Performing the therapy in a manner other than taught by a trained professional may not be effective and can be very uncomfortable for the individual.

National Autism Resources Accepts Purchase Orders

Did you know that we accept purchase orders?

We accept Purchase Orders from:

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Using the prices and product names published on National Autism Resources, please fax all PO's to 877-259-9419 or email (customerservice@nationalautismresources.com). We will confirm receipt and ship out immediately.

Exhausted

Well it has been an exhausting few weeks, but God has been good. We moved and my son went back into school. The transitions was great. The first day was hard, but then my son was able to meet up with a boy from our church who introduced him to several other kids. Now G has a whole group of kids to eat lunch with. Nick, the boy, told his mom, "Geoffrey is quiet but he's nice we like him." Hooray! He has no assistant because he wants to do this himself. My heart is so overwhelmed with thankfulness. I am amazed at how far he has come in the last eleven years!

Meanwhile, I continue to go back and forth to the hospital to visit with my Mom. She is now at a convalescent hospital and is learning to walk again. We still don't know if she will be able to walk unassisted, but we are so thankful her mind was not damaged.

I've been falling into bed each night because my days are so full. However, I have a peace from God that I am so thankful for. I read the following this morning: Psalm 27:13-14 I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.

Sounds good doesn't it? Lets be strong together, take heart and wait for the Lord.